Consumers' Acceptance of Sustainable Apparel Products Made of Bacterial Cellulose Materials

Abstract

<p>This study explores consumers' acceptance for the use of a bacterial cellulose (BC)-based sustainable nonwoven fabric in apparel or other related products. An online survey was conducted with a convenience sample of one of the U.S. mid-western universities. A total of 132 valid responses were used for the data analysis. The results indicate that BC material has the potential to gain consumers in the future. Although participants did not perceive BC material as good as other currently available sustainable materials, they presented great interest in this material, providing ideas for its potential use like shoes, hats, accessories, packaging materials, or home furnishings. Further study should be done for further exploring the potential of BC material for a variety of products beyond apparel. Further consumer testing is also recommended involving study participant's physical inspections of BC material by conducting sensory evaluation and wear testing of apparel products made of this material.</p>